NO SMOKING ON CELEBRITY

[JES]

Just saw the announcement that Celebrity has a new No Smoking policy. No Smoking in staterooms, balcony, and most of the public areas. There are defined smoking areas; fines for smoking in cabins.

Perhaps if we all write to Princess requesting they follow Celebrity's example we might get some results. (Unfortunately, there's no email address listed on Princess' website).

(My last cruise on the Star was a little marred as someone a balcony or two away was always smoking outside and down wind of me.)

 

[Linda the Book Lover]

I have been busy and not keeping up on cruise news so this was an interesting tidbit. I am going to read about this. Carnival's Paradise was non-smoking on the east coast but when she came to the west coast as a short trip cruise trip this changed. The DH and I are not smokers so sitting on a smokeless balcony does have appeal. I must say that we have been lucky and never had smoking neighbors on our balcony.

 

[Conniemc]

I cancelled my Celebrity booking after this announcement. I am an Elite Member with them, with over 40 cruises under my belt. I spend a ton of money while on board and hip heavily. They lost my business permanently.

I just spoke with the Vice President of Customer Relations at Princess yesterday to confirm Princess will NOT be changing its current policies in 2008 at least. They assured me, in writing, they will not be considering it. Celebrity lost a great deal of bookings.

I'm not thrilled to have to downgrade to Princess, but I won't have the cruise line dictate whether I can have an occasional cigarette on my private veranda. I hope Princess Ruby is a nice ship with great food, but I won't count my chickens. At least I'll be able to have a good time, without the threat of being disembarked for smoking in the privacy of my own cabin.
=twocents

 

[juggles]

I'm going on the Ruby. It will be great in every which way if it's as good as their Emerald which I cruised on last year. The food is second to none and the variety phenominal.........I smoke too and there are places top deck and a special smoking room. You can smoke too on some nights in the casino, which has a great bar and you don't need to gamble

 

[Conniemc]

That's good to hear Juggles. I'm confused however. They told me there are smoking sections in ALL lounges and casino on ALL nights. The only place smoking is completely banned, is the dining areas and showroom. Not so?

 

[juggles]

I can't remember, I think you're right about the lounges but there is so much to do we only sat in one, once. The casino on the Emerald was, some non smoking nights though. My grandson worked in the bar there and although he smokes, he said it was nice on the non-smoking eves. The smokers room is just off the casino and looks like a Dickensian study, very nice.
Also from deck 7 [maybe different on the Ruby] there is an exit to the walkway which goes all the way round the ship [outside] it's great to do that as nobody else seems to and I had a few cigarettes there. Also go aft and through the Adagio bar, there's a swimming pool and an outside bar with fountains and nobody ever seems to discover it until the last day.....marvellous

 

[Conniemc]

When I drink my champagne, I HAVE to smoke. Other times, I could care less. So as long as I can sit at an adult bar and have my champagne and smoke, I'm happy. I play roulette, and can't imagine they wouldn't have one smoking table. They usually have 70% non smoking casino table games and 30% smoking table games. Slots are another story....I haven't played them in many years, but usually see chain smokers sitting at them.

As a woman, going outside in the wind, in high heels and evening wear doesn't really work. You come back in looking like Cousin It.
D

 

[juggles]

On the no smoking nights there was just that...no smoking. It may be different on the Ruby but I doubt it.
I meant through the day for the walkway and pool

 

[Conniemc]

Princess says they've never heard of this policy (no smoking "days").Can anyone confirm in writing or from their Daily Planner? Thx

 

[juggles]

Interesting, I wonder if it was a decision by the bar manager on that cruise then and Princess don't know about it

 

[Conniemc]

All decisions are made by corporate. No senior officer (certainly not a manager) can change the rules on board. Even the captain. Although he can have you tossed off!
D
BTW Juggles, it appears we shall meet. I too, am on the 12/6 Ruby sailing.

And I agree with your previous posts. There is a good reason for the expression "Ugly American". Many Americans do not exhibit manners and consideration for other people's customs and countries. (And before everyone attacks me - I am GENERALIZING after observing Americans throughout the world for over 20 years). I remember once being in Acapulco, one of my favorite and most frequented places in the world, during a family reunion at the Acapulco Hyatt. I was mortified to come into my sister's room and hear her on the phone conplaining to the front desk the only music she could get on the radio was um....Mexican.

But you know what's funnier? I used to hate the Brits. No kidding. I thought you were all really boring, uptight and had NO sense of humor. Then I got to know a few pretty well. You guys DO have a sense of humor! Who knew?
:

 

[juggles]

Hi
I had to change my dates so go on the 10Jan now.
Connie, I can assure you that there were no smoking nights on the Emerald on the cruise I was on first two weeks last September. Four of us were on the cruise together and all four of us smoke. We liked going in the casino because my grandson was behind the bar. We had to keep going in the smoking room off the casino to smoke. Whether Princess corporation know that or not is another question, and it does look like it was a local decision by someone at the time. How would Princess corp know if no one complained. We all thought it was Princess' policy and accepted it. The staff couldn't smoke either.

 

[serene56]

we sailed Caribbean Princess once-- one night in the casino was smoke free- needless to say the casino was almost empty all night long.

 

[Conniemc]

BTW - the staff can never smoke in front of passengers. And since the cruise ship accident several years ago in Europe, no staff member can drink alchohol at any time...whether on duty or not. Officially speaking. The Captain's now say when they are boarding a ship, they are entering their "dry" period. It really changed the atmosphere in the disco and dining room, where you used to be able to socialize and have a few drinks with officers. Now they are invisible.

I miss the good ole' days of Sinatra, smoking, drinking and people just having fun without "banning" behavior. But then again, I think we used to be more civilized, showed common courtesy and had more manners than newer generations. People didn't fall off cruise ships back then. They had more class then to get so drunk they passed out in hallways (remember the honeymoom bride?) and fall off their balconies....yeesh.

 

[Web]

That's a shame about Celebrity . . . Michael's club, the cigar lounge, was fabulous. I don't smoke, but my husband used to . . . he did when we were on the Century & Mercury . . .

 

[Conniemc]

Actually, they banned cigar smoking in Michael's Club YEARS ago.....cigarettes only, and only at the small 6-8 seat bar, not the tables.

Of course, that's all a mute point now since smoking will be only allowed in tiny portions of the ship and seriously interfere with a relaxing vacation for people who like an after dinner smoke in the disco or lounge, or smoke with a cocktail. Let's see, I'm done dinner, and would like a cigarette before going to see the show...so, I have to walk up or down several decks, find the tiny area I'm permitted to smoke, and walk all the way back to where I was. Ridiculous. It will be interesting to see how this affects their revenues. While the majority of passengers may be non-tolerant, anti-smokers, they can't make up for the 30% who won't sail Celeb anymore due to the new policy.

 

[rotts]

A different picture from a smoker who sailed the Emerald.
I hated the smoking evenings as very heavy smoke. The lounge in the casino was fine for those wishing to have a smoke.
I would get up from table and reserve while I went for a smoke. I feel it's my bad habit and no one Else's.
I would make the casino smoke free other than the lounge within. Emerald I am talking.
As far as the balcony well I rented it so I will a have a smoke. Not in room though. Wife an X-smoker so enough said.

 

[Conniemc]

It's always the ex-smokers who are the worst!
:lol

 

[amistad]

I just cancelled a cruise on the Mariner and changed to Crown Princess, I too am an elite on Celebrity and Platinum on RCCL, but they are making new smoking rules too.I do not smoke, but my spouse does and I feel I would be spending half of our vacation by myself or looking for a smoking area on one of these lines, so I choose to go with a line that does have smoking areas readily available. My spouse does not intentionally smoke around non-smokers or in improper areas, but when they are going to limit smokers to balcony only rooms I feel they are charging for a room some cannot afford. I choose to cruise for the cost effectiveness and the enjoyment and sometimes we get a balcony and sometimes we get an inside room, I too feel that RCCL will see a decrease in smokers booking their product, just expressing my opinion. I also believe non-smokers have a right to choose a cruise that has no smoking. This is my first Princess cruise and now I am kind of excited about switching, I will just miss my perks since I am Platinum an Princess I am a newbie.

 

[Conniemc]

[quote amistad]I just cancelled a cruise on the Mariner and changed to Crown Princess, I too am an elite on Celebrity and Platinum on RCCL, but they are making new smoking rules too.I do not smoke, but my spouse does and I feel I would be spending half of our vacation by myself or looking for a smoking area on one of these lines, so I choose to go with a line that does have smoking areas readily available. My spouse does not intentionally smoke around non-smokers or in improper areas, but when they are going to limit smokers to balcony only rooms I feel they are charging for a room some cannot afford. I choose to cruise for the cost effectiveness and the enjoyment and sometimes we get a balcony and sometimes we get an inside room, I too feel that RCCL will see a decrease in smokers booking their product, just expressing my opinion. I also believe non-smokers have a right to choose a cruise that has no smoking. This is my first Princess cruise and now I am kind of excited about switching, I will just miss my perks since I am Platinum an Princess I am a newbie.[/quote]

[size=large]Yeah, I know...finally get your top tier status and BOOM, they kill your business. Me too. Haven't been a newbie in forever. Maybe we'll like Princess! Stranger things have happened. Sure hope RCCL reads these boards. You lost A LOT of high quality, long term cruisers. Celebrity existed for customer service and people like us who appreciated that, are gone. At least 20-30% of your bottom line...your profits. Those are a lot of people to find who are willing to take several cruises a year on Celebrity to replace us smokers.[/size]